Frydaddy Five + Halloween Info
The Friday Five
1. Have you made any Halloween plans?
Probably be at church, doing All Souls/All Saints Stuff.
2. At what age should you stop trick-or-treating?
When you're in the ground. I think if you're 89 you should still trick or treat. That's why God made Lil' Buddies®.
3. What's your favorite kind of Halloween candy?
Any kind of choco, but especially 100 Grands. Those...nummie num num! That being said, I generally avoid candy corn, just in case. Remember, practise safe-scarfing!
4. Are you more likely to trick someone else or be tricked yourself?
I'm too freaking tired and busy to trick people. The next big "trick" I'll be doing is leaving my current job.
5. Do you believe in ghosts?
Undead souls of the damned, or spirits "stuck"? They exist, I'm sure, but I really don't know what their "status" is. I've heard of house exorcisms where Freaky Crap™ has occured. I haven't any reason to disbelieve in their existance, but frankly, I think there are bigger fish to fry. Evangelism should be stressed over exorcism.
Liturgical Geek Added Feature!
The "traditional" colours for Halloween (or, more appropriately, "All Hallows' Eve"), orange and black, have nothing to do with witchcraft, satanism, Barbra Streisand, or Samhain. Rather, they come from the traditional catholic Requiem Mass. Black is, obviously, the colour of mourning. Orange, however, is the colour of unbleached beeswax candles. Traditionally, unbleached candles and black candlesticks surround the coffin of the Requiem's "special guest star."
This is a picture of a catafalque at the Church of the Resurrection in NYC. Notice the orangeish candles and black candlesticks:
This picture shows the altar candles, which look more orangey than those in that other picture:
If you're wondering what the heck a catafalque is, here's a rather simple definition from the Catholic Encyclopedia: Catafalque, derived from the Italian word catafalco, literally means a scaffold or elevation, but in its strictly liturgical sense the word is employed to designate the cenotaph-like erection which is used at the exequial offices of the Church, and takes the place of the bier whenever the remains are not present.
Generally, for All Souls' Masses, the catafalque is used in lieu of a coffin, because obviously, you don't want to dig up the bodies of all the dead of your parish. However, it is treated like a coffin would be during a requiem, and receives the absolution, is sprinkled with holy water, censed, and all that other stuff.
And now you know-and knowing is half the battle!
-j
1. Have you made any Halloween plans?
Probably be at church, doing All Souls/All Saints Stuff.
2. At what age should you stop trick-or-treating?
When you're in the ground. I think if you're 89 you should still trick or treat. That's why God made Lil' Buddies®.
3. What's your favorite kind of Halloween candy?
Any kind of choco, but especially 100 Grands. Those...nummie num num! That being said, I generally avoid candy corn, just in case. Remember, practise safe-scarfing!
4. Are you more likely to trick someone else or be tricked yourself?
I'm too freaking tired and busy to trick people. The next big "trick" I'll be doing is leaving my current job.
5. Do you believe in ghosts?
Undead souls of the damned, or spirits "stuck"? They exist, I'm sure, but I really don't know what their "status" is. I've heard of house exorcisms where Freaky Crap™ has occured. I haven't any reason to disbelieve in their existance, but frankly, I think there are bigger fish to fry. Evangelism should be stressed over exorcism.
Liturgical Geek Added Feature!
The "traditional" colours for Halloween (or, more appropriately, "All Hallows' Eve"), orange and black, have nothing to do with witchcraft, satanism, Barbra Streisand, or Samhain. Rather, they come from the traditional catholic Requiem Mass. Black is, obviously, the colour of mourning. Orange, however, is the colour of unbleached beeswax candles. Traditionally, unbleached candles and black candlesticks surround the coffin of the Requiem's "special guest star."
This is a picture of a catafalque at the Church of the Resurrection in NYC. Notice the orangeish candles and black candlesticks:
This picture shows the altar candles, which look more orangey than those in that other picture:
If you're wondering what the heck a catafalque is, here's a rather simple definition from the Catholic Encyclopedia: Catafalque, derived from the Italian word catafalco, literally means a scaffold or elevation, but in its strictly liturgical sense the word is employed to designate the cenotaph-like erection which is used at the exequial offices of the Church, and takes the place of the bier whenever the remains are not present.
Generally, for All Souls' Masses, the catafalque is used in lieu of a coffin, because obviously, you don't want to dig up the bodies of all the dead of your parish. However, it is treated like a coffin would be during a requiem, and receives the absolution, is sprinkled with holy water, censed, and all that other stuff.
And now you know-and knowing is half the battle!
-j